Grayscale’s Ethereum-based security, Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), is available for trading on OTC Markets, according to an official blog post from Grayscale Investments on June 20.
According to the post, ETHE is “an open-ended trust that holds Ethereum.” As further noted, this is a means of investing in Ethereum without having to actually hold the cryptocurrency. This means that the “first U.S.-based publicly quoted security solely invested in and deriving value from the price of Ethereum is available.”
Grayscale’s Director of Investments and Research Matt Beck commented on how investing in Ethereum can help investors build a profitable portfolio, saying:
“Cryptocurrencies — such as Ethereum — offer exposure to a unique set of market opportunities and risks that are uncorrelated to traditional assets. As a result, they can further diversify modern portfolios, enhancing returns per unit of risk (when positions are sized appropriately and maintained over long investment horizons).”
This closely mirrors CEO of Morgan Creek Capital Mark Yusko’s statement in May, in which he implored investors to hold bitcoin (BTC) due to its low correlation and high diversification.
Grayscale Investments, the United States-based investment firm behind ETHE, also offers a trust for bitcoin — Grayscale Bitcoin Trust — as well as trusts for the cryptocurrencies Ripple (XRP), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum Classic (ETC), Litecoin (LTC), Stellar Lumens (XLM), Zcash (ZEC), and Horizen (ZEN).
As previously reported by Cointelegraph, Grayscale got the green light to trade ETHE via OTC markets in May from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a not-for-profit regulator authorized by Congress.
However, Grayscale notes in its disclaimer that the trusts are not registered with the major American governmental watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC):
“The Products are NOT registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or any other regulatory agency in any jurisdiction, and are NOT subject to the same regulatory requirements as SEC-registered exchange traded funds or mutual funds [...] The Offered Products are being offered in private placements pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 506(c) under Regulation D of the Securities Act. As a result, the shares of each Offered Product are restricted and subject to significant limitations on resales and transfers.”